It is time to hear and heed the voices of Rural America, to give due respect to the contributions of rural American families and communities that have fed and fueled our nation for generations. Rural America produces the natural resources that make our country strong, provides stewardship of our food, our lands, and our waters, and is bedrock to American prosperity.

SMHA is proud to have been invited to the White House Rural Forum in State College, Pennsylvania, on October 5th. Director of Life Quality Initiatives, Gabe Schwartzman, spoke about SMHA’s continued commitment to maintain a vibrant future for Gulf Coast communities. Schwartzman spoke on the Young Leaders in Rural America panel, alongside Whitney Kimball Coe, director of National Programs for the Center for Rural Strategies.

In Louisiana, fishers are getting organized. On Friday, August 12th, several hundred fishers gathered in Gretna, LA, mobilizing to raise historically low prices for shrimp and other seafood commodities in coastal Louisiana.

While the food was delicious, the keynote address by Lawrence Lessig was the real show-stealer at the 2014 Top 50 Businesses in Acadiana award luncheon. Lessig, author of Republic Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress - and a Plan to Stop It, gave an enthralling speech on the misuse of money in government and elections.